The Land Cruiser Se Concept takes Toyota's design in a whole new direction.
The sleek-looking Toyota Land Cruiser Se Concept is an anomaly to be sure. It does employ certain strategic design hints from the recently released and U.S.-bound Land Cruiser 250, but we can also see distinct Range Rover Sport styling elements in the mix, making it the best-looking Toyota we’ve seen in a long time. In fact, that’s the first thing I thought when I saw this concept—what would happen if a Land Cruiser and a Range Rover had a baby? Answer: the Land Cruiser Se.
With sharp pinstripe style headlights, no grille, bulging wheel arches and clean-cut edges and lines, this concept certainly comes across as the brand’s new electrified design direction for SUVs.
The 'Se' appears to have taken a mix of design hints from the Land Cruiser 250 on the left and the ... [+]
Toyota unveiled several intriguing electric concept cars at last month’s Japan Mobility Show, but the Land Cruiser Se SUV kind of snuck in under the radar, hidden in the shadow of more high profile EVs like the FT-Se Sports coupe concept. Short for “Sports Electric,” the Se is Toyota’s second SUV offering after the bZ4X was launched last year.
In fact, were it not for the “Toyota” logo on its snout and above its razor-thin taillight band, we might be forgiven for thinking it was a next-gen electric Range Rover Sport, especially given the British SUV’s narrow headlights and bulky front end. And it’s because of those strategic features as well as the overall bold use of strong surfaces and sharp edges that we think this ‘Se’ concept looks pretty good.
So why is Toyota revealing such a stylish electric SUV now? Toyota wants to get one or two medium- to large-sized fully electric trucks/SUVs onto the market sooner than later to compete with the huge wave of upcoming electric SUVs including the Rivian R1S, Tesla Cybertruck, Hummer EV, Audi Q6 e-tron, Buick Electra, Cadillac Escalade iQ, Chevrolet Blazer EV and Equinox EV, Jeep Wagoneer S, Ford Explorer EV, Kia EV9, and Fisker Ocean, which are generating significant interest in industry circles.
It’s clear that there’s an intention at Toyota to move toward a battery electric vehicle future, but from the rhetoric coming out of the company, it seems as though they just want to take baby steps towards that goal for several years to come.
The Range Rover-like design cues can be seen at the rear end too.
Former CEO Akio Toyoda caught flack over a year ago when he previewed a bunch of next-gen EVs, but then stated that while the firm would focus on EVs, it would continue offering gasoline hybrids, plug-in hybrids, hydrogen-powered fuel cell cars, and internal combustion engines using alternative fuels like hydrogen.
So what about the Se’s specs? The only real technical detail Toyota offers about the new Land Cruiser Se is that it uses a “monocoque body” — which sounds very expensive for a mass-market three-row SUV suitable for seven passengers. Toyota also suggested in its press release that the concept is not limited to cruising on roads, as it mentions "confidence in tackling tough terrain."
We are also told that the ‘Se’ measures 202.8 inches long, 78.3 inches wide, and 67.1 inches tall with a wheelbase that stretches 120.1 inches. That’s nearly 8 inches longer than the new 250 model, which means the ‘Se’ should have plenty of rear leg room.
No information however, was given about the SUV’s powertrain or range, but with Toyota co-developing its next-gen “prismatic” battery tech with Panasonic, we can expect it to employ dual electric motors, 4WD, and offer range that clears 500 miles, while delivering significant acceleration, comfort and reliability.
